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You don't know that Philadelphia has historic value?
-Liberty Bell
-Independence Hall
-Original capital of the U.S./ First U.S. Congress
-Country was founded here (signing of the Declaration of Independence and National Constitution happened here)
-Largest collection of colonial housing in the U.S. in Society Hill in Center City, Philadelphia
-First U.S. Flag made here
-Battles during the American Revolution fought here
-First public school in America here
-First U.S. Hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital (still in operation today)
-First Science Institute
-First Lightning Rod used here
-Electricity discovered here
-First School of Anatomy
-First Medical School
-First Theater
-Life Insurance Started here
-First Slavery Protests here
-First Public U.S. Bank
-Second Public U.S. Bank
-First Stock Exchange
-First Daily Newspaper published here
-First Medical Relief to the poor here
-First Steam Vessel moved here on the Delaware River
-First Law School in the U.S.
-First Carpet Factory Here
-First Turnpike here
-First U.S. Mint here (still in operation today)
-First water company and water sent through pipes here
-First Ink Printing here
-First Carbonated Water here
-First Insurance Company here
-First Savings Fund Society
-First Lithograph in the U.S.
-First College of Pharmacy
-First Successful Woman's Magazine
-Many first Locomotives tested here
-First gas pipes in the country laid here
-First Zoo in America
-First World's Fair in the U.S.
...and the list goes on and on and on. And that doesn't even include some historical sites unique to Philadelphia like the graveyard that houses Ben Franklin's grave, the gentleman's agreement, 30th Street Station, City Hall, Eastern State Penitentiary (Al Capone arrested in Philadelphia and held here), Philadelphia was the first city to be laid out on a grid system and the first city to have planned parks, etc. etc. etc...
It's so sad how little American Citizens know about their own country. The only U.S. city that can go toe to toe in U.S. History with Philadelphia is Boston, Philadelphia trumps every other city when it comes to history.
Atlanta!!! I mean any city that can be practically burned to the ground and make a major comeback deserves it!
That's not history...
Quote:
Originally Posted by btownboss4
No Philly?
but I think Boston is #1, but Philly has a strong argument.
No one is giving facts on how Boston has greater historic value. But us Philly posters are giving you list after list. Philadelphia has the MORE U.S. history then any other city. I mean come on... Boston is very historic, but compared to Philly. All it got is the American revolution(which Philly had a part in too). You might beat us in other category's. But in this one, we got you beat.
No one is giving facts on how Boston has greater historic value. But us Philly posters are giving you list after list. Philadelphia has the MORE U.S. history then any other city. I mean come on... Boston is very historic, but compared to Philly. All it got is the American revolution(which Philly had a part in too). You might beat us in other category's. But in this one, we got you beat.
Boston is 115 years older, so therefore has more European/American History
No one is giving facts on how Boston has greater historic value. But us Philly posters are giving you list after list. Philadelphia has the MORE U.S. history then any other city. I mean come on... Boston is very historic, but compared to Philly. All it got is the American revolution(which Philly had a part in too). You might beat us in other category's. But in this one, we got you beat.
Boston is older, and it's colonial history is more well known (e.g. Salem witch trials).
Boston's role in the revolution is a bit more "glamourous" as it's the place where it all started.
Boston also had very important roles in the industrial development of America in the 1800s as well as in the abolitionism movement and in the arts.
That's why I voted for Boston over "other" (i.e. Philadelphia).
Boston is older, and it's colonial history is more well known (e.g. Salem witch trials).
Boston's role in the revolution is a bit more "glamourous" as it's the place where it all started.
Boston also had very important roles in the industrial development of America in the 1800s as well as in the abolitionism movement and in the arts.
That's why I voted for Boston over "other" (i.e. Philadelphia).
Salem isn't Boston, but if you want to open up the area, then Fort Christina (Wilmington, DE) is almost as old as Boston (1638 vs 1630). The role of the Swedes in America are certainly not as well-known as that of the Puritans, but it's still a pretty cool history.
I'd say they're about even for the role in the Revolution, although, if I had to pick, I'd give Boston the slight edge. Valley Forge and the Battle of Trenton weren't too far from Philadelphia, though, so you can add that in to compete (although, Lexington and Concord were obviously near Boston).
Philadelphia also had an important role in the industrialization of America (this is particularly true if you include Northern Delaware and South Jersey, aka Dupont).
Philadelphia is also the site of major centennial celebrations.
Anyway, it's cool voting for Boston. That's my #2 pick anyway.
The only reason the important conferences and signings happened in Philly was that Philly was both the largest city in the colonies at the time and it was the most central city, so representatives from the south could get there more easily than they could get to Boston or NYC. Otherwise, Philly's active role in the revolution was pretty small. All the revolutionary war characters were all from either Massachusetts (Ben Franklin, John Hancock, John Adams, etc.) or Virginia (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc). And the reasons why they met in Philly all stemmed back to events taking place in the Boston area in particular. Namely Bunker Hill, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Shot Heard Round the World, etc. all of which were fought mainly by the Massachusetts militia. Eventually, with the British having been forced back into Boston, the colonists fired into the city, forcing the British to leave forever. And once they left Boston, they went south and seized Philly, which would remain in British hands for the remaineder of the war. Its true that a few battles were fought in New Jersey, and Valley Forge is very close to Philly, but neither of these events, imo i guess, had to do with the city or actions in the city.
As for other important Boston historical things :
First subway system
First Public school in America
America's frst public park
Stronghold of the Abolitionist movement
America's first post office
Invention of the telephone
First public library
Birthplace of the American Industrial Revoluton
America's first newspaper
Also (according to wikipedia..) "oldest continuously operated industrial and fishing port in the Western Hemisphere"
Invention of sewing machine
Oldest institution of higher learning
America's first annual marathon
America's first world series
!st mutual fund
invention of facebook
good stuff.....
(a lot gotten from here: Boston Firsts)
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